Care and Identification of Photographs

March 13-16, 2010: Tucson, AZ - Care & ID Workshop

This 4-day workshop is an introduction to the history, identification, and preservation of photographic materials. Participants will acquire hands-on identification skills and learn practical photograph preservation techniques. Using handheld 30x microscopes and a large set of photographic and photomechanical samples, they will learn how a variety of processes were created, why they look the way they do, and how they deteriorate. Knowledge about photographic processes is essential to their preservation and leads to a greater appreciation of the aesthetics and history of photographic prints.

Preservation topics include enclosures, handling guidelines, environmental monitoring, the effects of temperature and relative humidity on collections, and the importance of cold storage for certain photographic materials.

Processes examined in detail include but are not limited to the following: daguerreotype, albumen, collodion and gelatin printing-out processes (POP), matte collodion, gelatin silver, photogravure, offset litho, letterpress halftone, collotype, chromogenic color, inkjet, and dye sublimation. Group ID sessions, using a digital microscope and screen projection, will allow participants to practice their identification skills in a guided setting,

A workshop notebook is provided for every participant. The Basic Photographic Sample Set, consisting of 18 identified photographic and photomechanical processes, are available with registration for $75. The price for the Sample Set without workshop registration is $175. You may register online for this workshop now, at the top of this page.

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA), a certifying organization of professional archivists, will award 15 Archival Recertification Credits (ARCs) to eligible Certified Archivists (CAs) attending this workshop.

Workshop Cancellation Policy:
Full Refund if requested up to 3 weeks before the workshop.
50% of the fee will be refunded if requested between 3 weeks and 1 week before the workshop.
Cancellations made within one week will not result in a refund.
Should the workshop be cancelled for any reason, full refunds will be made.